2 weeks Ago
Hollywood came to Holywood, Co Down, with Gillian Anderson — star of The X Files, Scoop and The Fall — taking on her latest role. She was filming scenes beside the town’s Yacht Club on Kinnegar Road on Wednesday night for new Troubles drama Trespasses. Also starring in the Channel 4 series is Martin McCann from Blue Lights and Hollyoaks’ Gerard McCarthy.
The broadcaster commissioned the show, with lead talent Lola Petticrew and Tom Cullen, in August and said filming would also take place in Belfast. It is based on Louise Kennedy’s breakout debut novel of the same name, which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and will be a four-part series with one-hour episodes. The plot is billed as “a forbidden love story, set against the backdrop of the Troubles” and has been adapted by screenwriter Ailbhe Keogan.
Teasing the series, a Channel 4 spokesperson said: “In 1975, in a town outside Belfast, whilst working one night behind the bar of her family pub, serving a mixed crowd including the locally stationed soldiers, Catholic schoolteacher Cushla meets Michael, an older Protestant married man, who often defends IRA suspects and is friends with cultured Bohemians who enrage and intrigue Cushla. “Worlds apart, Cushla knows a relationship like this spells all kinds of trouble, but they are irresistibly drawn to one another. “In a place where loose lips cost lives and danger lurks in the shadows, amidst the fear and paranoia, this illicit affair between Cushla and Michael ignites and burns bright.
..” Lola and Tom take the leading roles, while Gillian plays a character called Gina — and is also the executive producer of the thriller.
She said: “I fell in love with Louise’s stunning book when I read it in proof. I was immediately drawn to the tragi-comic creation that is Gina and couldn’t resist when Louise asked me to play her. “Reading Ailbhe’s brilliant scripts confirmed how vividly this story could translate to screen and with Dawn Shadforth at the helm and Lola and Tom alongside, I’m delighted to be part of the Trespasses family.
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